Archive for the ‘facelift’ Category

Quite frankly, the new 2019 Mazda CX-5 with a turbocharged engine and Signature trim feels like a premium car. It packs the gear of the heavyweights in a body that entails sophistication. Add to this a powerful, sporty brand image that I find more alluring compared with its standard competition, and you have yourself a car so well formed one may consider it over an Audi or a Lexus. Up until the new model year, the Mazda CX-5 did lack a powerful engine, and, quite frankly, some of the gizmos and luxuries one can expect of a car of this stature. 2019 comes to correct these problems with a 2.5-liter, turbocharged engine, a whole lot of standard gear for its top end Signature trim, and a fitting price. That fitting price? Well, you will have to churn out more than $38,000 for the 2019 Mazda CX-5 Signature AWD with a 2.5-liter, turbocharged engine.

Thirteen years after departing the mid-size luxury SUV scene, the Lincoln Aviator is all set for its comeback as the production model takes center stage at the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show. The production version’s debut comes eight months after Lincoln introduced the concept version at the New York Auto Show. Once it arrives, the Aviator will slot between the Nautilus and the range-topping Navigator in Lincoln’s SUV lineup.

The Renault Kadjar facelift comes three years after it was launched and, while it definitely looks refreshed, it just doesn’t live up to the hype it created back when it was launched in 2015. For 2019, the Kadjar even receives Renault’s latest engine, along with some changes to the inside and outside.

It’s been only three years since Audi introduced the second-generation R8, and the supercar has already been upgraded to its mid-cycle specs. It’s A bit more aggressive on the outside and now cranks out more power in both standard and beefed-up versions. Previously known as the V10 Plus, the range-topping model was renamed the V10 Performance. The German supercar will go on sale in Europe in early 2019.

Fiat has revealed its revised 500X crossover which has been nipped and tucked for the first time since its 2014 European debut (in the US for the 2016 model year it was launched). It comes with a refreshed exterior with new front and rear light clusters, more tech, and improved engines.

The Hyundai i30 (better known as theElantra GT), just received a small update in Europe. Hyundai made it compliant with the features shown on the i30 Fastback, introduced new versions of its diesel engine and granted a bit more equipment for one of the most important cars it has ever introduced on the old continent. The new Hyundai i30 does not differ a lot from the last year’s car.

The subcompact crossover segment is the fastest growing segment currently. Crossovers are turning out to be the evolved form of sedans, with more and more people opting for cars with raised stance and an SUV look. It looks like Mazda has taken a note of the same and has finally launched the refreshed CX-3, three years after its launch, to rake in a bigger share of the pie. After selling an average of 1500 units per month since its inception, the car was in desperate need of a refresh to give that number a boost. Despite being a bang-for-the-buck car, the CX-3 never brought volumes for Mazda. Can changes for the 2019 model year brighten its fortunes?

The 2019 Hyundai Elantra Sports a considerably different look in the front and rear and was revealed in Park City, Utah at a specially organized event. It’s not all-new, however, as it is actually a facelifted version of the car that appeared only two years ago. As it is one of the most important Hyundai cars in the world, the new Elantra comes with comprehensive safety features and more tech than ever before. You will be able to buy it later this year as a 2019 model. Anywhere in the world apparently, as the event held yesterday in Utah actually had global connotations. This is the new, global Hyundai Elantra.

I expected to see a facelifted Audi TT at the Paris Auto Show later this year, but Audi jumped the gun and released a new car only days after the Goodwood Festival of Speed. The new Audi TT received superficial exterior upgrades, slightly retuned engines, and a few more options for the interior. It remained much the same as before, but it did gain new Audi nomenclature designating the version with a number. New cars include the TT 40 TFSI, the TT 45 TFSI, the TT 45 TFSI Quattro, and the TTS.

Dodge revealed a slightly updated and, as usual, a rather appealing 2019 Dodge Durango. With subtle changes aimed to enrich the offering within all trim levels and with only superficial styling changes, the unibody SUV continues to be a rather formidable competitor to the Pilot and its likeness.

The company revealed an MSRP of $29,995 for the entry level 2019 Dodge Durango SXT with a 3.6-liter, V-6 engine.

Dodge revealed a slightly updated and, as usual, a rather appealing 2019 Dodge Durango. With subtle changes aimed to enrich the offering within all trim levels and with only superficial styling changes, the unibody SUV continues to be a rather formidable competitor to the Pilot and its likeness.

The company revealed an MSRP of $29,995 for the entry level 2019 Dodge Durango SXT with a 3.6-liter, V-6 engine.

Three years after the current generation was launched, Audi has finally revealed the facelifted 2019 A4 sedan and A4 Avant. The revised A4 gets minor exterior upgrades and an all-new S-Line Competition Equipment Package, but for now, these updates are limited to the European market. We do expect the U.S.-spec A4 to get the same changes as well, but when that will happen is another story.

First making the scene in 2010, the compact five-door Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid entered its second generation in 2016 and is now set to receive a bit of a refresh for the 2019 model year. Headlining the list of updates is a new and improved charging system, which is said to offer twice the range-per-hour as the outgoing system.

The Dodge Charger, which has seriously soldiered on since 2011 with minor changes, is getting some more minor updates for 2018 as Dodge hopes to maintain its relevancy on the market. As of the time of this writing, the Dodge Charger is creeping up on eight years old and probably won’t see its much-needed generational shift until at least 2020. With that in mind, it should also be noted that Dodge is downsizing the Charger lineup, which will now be offered in just six trim levels. The revised offering of trim levels and minor updates should at least help the old-geezer of a car carry on, so let’s take a good look at the new trim levels and what each trim level gets.

Unveiled last week in Japan, the 2019 Mazda MX-5 is finally here to meet the rest of the world. Officially presented by Western Mazda PR teams in Canada, the U.S., and Europe, the refreshed Mazda MX-5 greets us with a 2.0-liter, naturally aspirated engine uprated to 181 horsepower and 151 pound-feet of torque. Those aren’t the only improvements, though.

Unveiled last week in Japan, the 2019 Mazda MX-5 is finally here to meet the rest of the world. Officially presented by Western Mazda PR teams in Canada, the U.S., and Europe, the refreshed Mazda MX-5 greets us with a 2.0-liter, naturally aspirated engine uprated to 181 horsepower and 151 pound-feet of torque. Those aren’t the only improvements, though.

It is not exactly common to see a new car unveiled with a designation such as the 2018.5 Infiniti QX30. Nevertheless, Infiniti’s new QX30 received a few changes compared with the 2018 model. Most importantly, automatic emergency braking, previously optionally available only for top two trim levels, is now a standard issue across the range.

And the range has a different ring to it. For the 2018.5 Infiniti QX30 (official Infiniti designation, mind you), trim levels were renamed, equipment shuffled, and prices went up a bit. What once was Base, Luxury, and Premium, now is Pure, Luxe and Essential. It has a better ring to it without a doubt. The only trim level that retains the old name is the Sport.

The 2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata is getting some needed updates, and a big part of those updates include a 26-horsepower increase that will give the popular roadster 181 horsepower to play with. The months-long rumor about the MX-5’s power bump has been confirmed, among other interesting bits about the updated version of one of the world’s most popular sports cars.

It’s been almost a year since Ford gave the sixth-generation Mustang its mid-cycle upgrade, and the time has come for the Shelby GT350 to get its refresh. Despite rumors that it won’t be around for long, the GT350 continues into the 2019 model year with revisions inside and out to go with tweaked underpinnings.

As we’re waiting for the Shelby GT500 to return after a long hiatus, Ford just rolled out an upgrade for the GT350. But, while the muscle car did get some notable updates in the aerodynamics and drivetrain departments, it didn’t gain the visual changes we’ve seen on the facelifted Mustang. In short, it’s still based on the original sixth-generation Mustang. The good news is that the updated coupe was tested by Billy Johnson, a racing driver with plenty of experience in the FIA World Endurance and the IMSA championships with the Ford GT and Mustang GT4 programs. Let’s see what changed and what remained the same in the review below.

Ford has finally introduced the 2019 Mustang Shelby GT350, and it comes with chassis and aerodynamic updates as well as model-specific tires and tuning to make it go faster and handle better than ever before.